Control panel



Sept. 8, 1925. 1,552,600

C. S. EPPLEY CONTROL PANEL Filed July 27 1923 sir-9'3 1 1 jmamtu Aw QM Patented Sept. 8, 1925 UNITED CHARLES s. errant, for YORK, ZP-ENNSYLVANIA.

common PANEL.

Application filed auiy 27, 1923. Serial No. 654,223.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, CHARLES S. EPPLEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at York, in the county of York and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Control Panels, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to electric control panels for automatic railway switches and more particularly to the type which are-employed in connection with street railway systems and under conditions where the motorman, by the throwing of the control lever of the car, automatically sets in operation means for throwing the switch to enable him to select his course of travel. i

More especially the control panel embodying the invention is designed for use in connection with the automatic switch illustrated and described in my co-pending application, filed July 25, 1923, Serial No. 653,7 60.

Another object of the 'invention'is to provide, in the circuit of the panel, an improved construction of overload circuit breaker.

In the accompanying drawing the figure is a diagrammatic view illustrating the panel embodying the invention and the wiring therefor.

In the drawing, the numeral 1 indicates diagrammatically the main track and the numeral 2 the switch point, the automatic switch embodying the invention set forth in my co-pending application referred to above being indicated by the numeral 3 and embodying a motor 4 and a connection 5 between the motor and the switch point for throwing the point from one position to the other. The mechanism 3 also embodies a selecting switch which is indicated by the numeral 6 and which comprises a pivoted switch blade 7 having operative connection with the moving connection 5 and working between spaced contacts 8 and 9 which are, of course, suitably insulated from the casing and mounted thereon. The numeral 10 indicates a time limit switch which is also embodied in the operating mechanism 3 anda conductor wire 11 leads from the contact 12 of the switch to one binding post of the electric motor 4.

The panel which is to be mounted in juxtaposition to the track and preferably upon one of the trolley poles, is indicated in general by the numeral 13, the main line trolley wire being illustrated diagrammatically and referred to. 'Itrically connected with the trolley wire 14 indicated by the numeral 14 and the switch track trolley wire being indicated by the numeral 15. The numeral 16 indicates in general a selecting relay which is mounted upon the panel 13 and which comprises the usual core 17 and winding 18. Mounted 'upon one head of the relay and in electrical communication therewith, is a switch .arm indicated by the numeral19, the same being provided with a contact 20 for coaction with a fixed contact 21 to which'latter contact position to the contact 21', and a conductor wire 24 leads from the said contact 23130 the contact '9 of the selecting switch heretofore A conductor wire 25 is elecand is led to one terminal of the winding-18 'of the selecting relay '16 and a conductor wire 26 is led from the other terminal of the winding to a trolley wheel contact 27'which is supported upon the trolley wire 14 and insulated therefrom. i

Supported upon the trolley wire 14 in close proximity to the trolley wheel contact 27, is a similar contact 28, which is likewise insulated from the wire, and to which is connected a conductor wire 29 leading, by way of a fuse 30, to the base of the selecting relay 16. The numeral 31 indicates in general a safety switch comprising a double solenoid 32', one coil of which is indicated .by the numeral 33 and the other by the numeral 34, th core of the solenoid being indicated :by the numeral 35. A Switchblade 36 is actuated through the movement of the solenoid core, and a conductor wire 37 is connected to'the said switch and tothe blade .7 .of the selecting switch 6. A conductor wire 38 leads from one terminal of the coil 33 of the solenoid 31 to the base of the selecting relay 16, and a conductor wire 39 leads from the other terminal of thesaid coil to ground, as illustrated in the drawing and likewise to one terminal of the coil 34 of the solenoid 31, a conductor wire 40 being led from the other terminal of the coil 34 to a resetcontact 41 which is mounted upon and insulated from the trolley wire 14 and is located substantially at the juncture of the wires .14 and 15.

The numeral .42 indicates in general an impulse relay which is mounted uponthe panel and comprises the usual winding 43 and core 44. f A switch blade 45 is pivotally mounted upon one head of the relay in electrical connection with. the core andhas. a contact point 46 for coaction with a fixed contact point 47. A conductor wireq48 is connected to the contact 47 and to oneter- Vminal of the winding 43 of theimpulse relay 42, and a conductor wire 49 leads from the other terminal of the winding of the said relaytoithe other binding post ofthe electric motor 4, a suitable resistance 50 being interposed in the wire 49. -A conductor wire in which is'interposed an over'load circuit breaker- 51 leads from the base of the relay 42, incircuit' with the core 44 of the said relay, to' the other terminal of the wind ing 18. of the selecting relay 16, afuse 52 being interposed inthe said wire; A. fixed contact 53 is arranged in the path of movement .of the switch blade 36 and is electrically connected with the wire 48.

The operation of the apparatus is as'follows, it being assumed that the switch is open and that .the car is approaching the switch and traveling in the direction indicated by. the arrows in the drawing, also that it is required that the car pass onto the side track. The trolley wheel of the car first makes contact with the insulated section '27 and at this time the carco'ntroller lever will be on. Current will consequently flow through the wire 25 'to the selecting relay 16,'energizing the same and passing from the winding of the relay through the .wire 26' to the insulated section 27 and thence through the controller and motor of the car. The relay 16 being energized, the

armature 19 constituting the switch heretofore referred to is attracted to the relay thus bringing the contact 20 into engagement with the contact 23. Substantially at this moment the trolley wheel will have passed into electrical contact with the section 28 as well as the contact 27 and at this time currentwill flow from the contact 27 through the trolley wheel to the contacts 28, then by 'way of the conductor wire 29, and the fuse 30 to the binding post upon the base of the selecting relay 16. Part of the current will now flow by way of the contact 23' and through the wire 24 to the selecting switch 6 and this switch being in the position shown in the drawing, the current passes through the wire 37 to the blade 36 ofthe safety switch 31 and throughthe said'blade and by way of the wire 53 to the winding of the impulse relay 42, which relay is then energized, the current passing from the wind ing of the relay through the wire 49 and the resistance 50 to the motor 4 and thus energizing the motor to set' in operation the connections which actuate the switch point 2. .From the motor the current passes through the time'switch l0 and then to ground. As stated, the current has been closed through the impulse relay 42 and the armature comprising the switch blade 45 is attracted and the contact46 is broughtinto engagement with the contact 47 so that cur .rent. will then flow from the trolley wire 14 through the wire 25, through the fuse 52, and; overload circuit breaker 51 to the base of the impulse relay 42, thence through the wire 48, through the winding 43 of the said impulse relay .42, and back to ground through the motor 4. If the switch point is onto the curved track, the controller of the car being on. The current flows: through the wire 25 to the selectingrelay 16, through the wire 26 and through the trolley wheel tothe car. controller and motor, thearmature switch blade 19 being drawn to the contact 23 asthe trolley wheel comes in contact with the contact section 27. As the selecting switch blade is now making contact with the contact 8, the circuit through the wire 24-is open, and the motor circuit re- 'mains open. Therefore, there is no shifting of the switch point.

Considering another phase of operation of the apparatusit will be considered that the car is traveling in the direction of the switch: and that the switch point is closed and that it is required that thecar continue on the main track. The trolley wheel makes contact with the contact section 27 and, with the control off, no current flows to the selecting'relay 16. ,As the'trolley wheel makes contact with the contact section 28, a small amount of current, less than that required to energize the selecting relay flows through the wire 25 and through the winding of the relay 16, thence to the wire 25, to the contact section 27 and through the trolley wheel to the contact section 28. The current thenceflows through the wire 29 through the switch blade, 19, contacts 20 and 21, wire 22. contact 8, switch blade 7, through the wire 37 tothe switch blade 36, through the wire 48, to the winding of the impulse relay 42,

through the wire 49, resistance 50, motor 4,

time limit switch 10 and to ground, thus set- .tlng the motor in operation. The current is at this time completed through the, impulse relay'42 thus attracting the armature switch blade 45 and the current'now flows from the" wire 25 through the fuse 52 and wire 51 through the blade 45, the wire 48, through the winding 43, thence through the wire 49, resistance 50, motor 4, and switch 10 until the switch point has been moved to open position when the selecting switch 6 will be operated so that the blade 7 thereof will be in contact with the contact 9. The time limit switch 10 is at this time opened thus breaking the circuit and the armature switch blade 45 is released, the switch 10 closing automatically as soon as the motor stops and thus permitting the mechanism to reset.

Assuming that the .switch point is open and that the approaching car is required to travel on the main track, the controller being off, a small quantity of current will flow through the wire 25, the winding of the selecting relay 16, through the wire 26, through the contact 27, the trolley wheel, to the contact 28, through the wire 29, to the fuse 30, to the switch blade 19, and to the wire 22, but as the selecting switch 6 is in the position illustrated in the drawing and in contact with contact 9, the circuit will not be closed through the motor and therefore the switch point 2 will remain in its open position.

From the foregoing it will be evident that regardless of the direction in which it is necessary for the car to travel, the motorman, through proper manipulation of the control lever of the car, will first operate the safety relay 33, and after passing the switch, will operate the rest relay 34, this being accomplished in the following manner. As the trolley wheel passes from the contact 27 to the contact 28, current will fiow from the trolley wire 14 through the wire 25 through the winding of the selecting relay 16, through the wire 26 to the contact 27, through the trolley wheel, the contact 28, the wire 29 through the fuse 30, the wire 29, the wire 38, the winding 33, through the wire 34, and to ground. This actuates the armature switch 36 to move the same to the dotted line position shown in the drawing until the car has passed safely through or past the switch, when the trolley wheel will make contact with the reset contact 41 and current will flow from the trolley wire through the trolley wheel, the wire 40, the winding 34, the wire 34, and to ground, thus returning the armature switch 36 to its initial position.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. The combination with railway switch operating mechanism, an electric motor for actuating the same, and a source of current supply such, for example, as the trolley wire, of a series of contacts insulated with respect to the said source of current and designed for engagement by the current collecting element of a railway car, of a selecting switch in circuit with one of said contacts and actuated through operation of the switch operating mechanism, a selecting relay in circuit with the other contacts and with the source of current supply, the selecting switch embodying fixed contacts and a movable contact element and the said fixed contacts being in circuit with the relay switch, and an impulse relay in circuit with the selecting relay.

2. The combination with railway switch operating mechanism, an electric motor for actuating the same, and a source of current supply such, for example, as the trolley wire, of a series of contacts insulated with respect to the said source of current and designed for engagement by the current collecting element of a railway car, of a selecting switch in circuit with one of said contacts and actuated through operation of the switch operating mechanism, a selecting relay in circuit with the other contacts and with the source of current supply, the selecting switch embodying fixed contacts and a movable contact element and the said fixed contacts being in circuit with the relay switch, an impulse relay in circuit with the selecting relay, and a safety switch in circuit with the first mentioned contact and the selecting switch.

3. The combination with railway switch operating mechanism, an electric motor for actuating the same, and a source of current supply such, for example, as the trolley wire, of a series of contacts insulated with respect to the said source of current and designed for engagement by the current collecting element of a railway car, of a selecting switch in circuit with one of said contacts and actuated through operation of the switch operating mechanism, a selecting relay in circuit with the other contacts and with the source of current supply, the selecting switch embodying fixed contacts and a movable contact element and the said fixed contacts being in circuit with the relay switch, and an impulse relay in circuit with the selecting relay and a timing switch in circuit with the motor. I

In testimony whereof I affix my signature CHARLES s. EPPLEY. 1,. 8.] 

